Ozil out for up to three games with shoulder injury - Wenger

Arsenal's Germany international Mesut Ozil will be out for up to three matches with a shoulder injury, manager Arsene Wenger said on Sunday.

Ozil, who joined Arsenal from Real Madrid for a club-record fee on the final day of the close-season transfer window, suffered the injury in their 3-1 win over West Ham United on Thursday.

Ozil misses Sunday's match at Newcastle United and their match against Cardiff City on Jan. 1. He is also a doubt for their FA Cup third round clash against local rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Jan. 4.

"I would have loved him here (at Newcastle) but he had a shoulder problem, he fell on his shoulder. He will be out for two-to-three games," Wenger told Sky Sports.

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Giroud steers Arsenal back to Premier League summit

Olivier Giroud ended a seven-game scoring drought to help Arsenal beat Newcastle United 1-0 and return to the top of the Premier League while Everton moved back into the top four with a 2-1 defeat of Southampton on Sunday.

France striker Giroud, who had not scored in all competitions since Nov. 23, got the faintest of touches to glance a Theo Walcott free kick into the net midway through the second half.

Romelu Lukaku, who had not scored for Everton in five games, scored the winner for Roberto Martinez's side three minutes after Gaston Ramirez cancelled out Seamus Coleman's early opener.

Arsenal, with 42 points, are one point clear of Manchester City after 19 games. Everton, in fourth on 37, leapfrog rivals Liverpool, who play Chelsea later on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur host Stoke City in Sunday's other match.

Arsenal's visit to Newcastle promised goals after the North Londoners won 7-3 when the teams clashed on the same day last year, but this encounter soon descended into a more stolid affair with both defences well on top.

Arsenal kept possession neatly, but without injured playmaker Mesut Ozil, lacked incision and failed to create a chance of note in the first half.

Newcastle came close to taking the lead in first-half injury time when Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny palmed a shot from Moussa Sissoko over the bar and defender Mike Williamson hit the crossbar with a header from the resulting corner.

It looked to be heading towards a draw when Arsenal struck the decisive blow. Walcott's free kick was perfectly angled into the box and Giroud got in between the Newcastle centre backs to feather a delicate header into the net.

It could have been 2-0 moments later but Walcott missed two chances to put the game to bed, with Newcastle keeper Tim Krul saving his first shot while his follow-up effort was cleared off the line by Mathieu Debuchy.

There was a frenetic finale but Arsenal's defence held out to ensure they go into the New Year on top of the table for the first time since 2007-08, to provide manager Arsene Wenger with some festive cheer.

"There was a big satisfaction because we surprised many people and we want to go on from here," he said.

"We played two away games and got six points against West Ham and Newcastle and as you can see the team is ready for a fight. Let's keep fighting and trying to develop the team."

Everton, who played more than 60 minutes of their defeat to Sunderland on Thursday with 10 men, seemed to be rejuvenated with their full quota on the field and took the lead after nine minutes.

Seamus Coleman, cut inside, switched the ball to his right foot and fired an angled shot into the net for his fourth goal in his last seven Premier League games.

Ross Barkley missed an easy chance to make it 2-0 early in the second half from eight metres and that appeared costly when Ramirez levelled with a thundering shot from distance.

Parity lasted only a few minutes as Lukaku ran onto a pass from James McCarthy and the Belgium striker took one touch and fired home from 12 metres.

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Real Madrid - FC Barcelona 2015 nov 21

Real Madrid vs Barcelona 
Competition: Spanish Primera Division
Date: 21 November 2015 - Time: 17:15 GMT
Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid

Real Madrid team went into the international break on the back of a shock 3-2 defeat at the hands of Sevilla and they now trail Barça by three points. But Los Galacticos will go top of the table on goal difference should they beat Barcelona. They have been strong at home this season, picking up 13 points from a possible 15, and they have not lost at home since September 2014. Real Madrid also have the second-best defensive record in the league and have scored the most goals, too.
Benzema has recovered from a hamstring injury, but is lacking in match fitness. Hence, Gareth Bale is likely to start in the hole while Isco could be preferred to James Rodriguez. Goalkeeper Keylor Navas is expected to be back after missing the last couple of fixtures with a groin problem. As for the backline Raphael Varane is expected to partner Sergio Ramos at the heart of the defence.
Barcelona are in brilliant form having recorded boasting a seven-game unbeaten run and four straight La Liga wins, which have led them to the top of he table all without Messi. In fact, Neymar and Luis Suarez have netted each of Barça's last 17 league goals. Anyway, they have lost two of their last three away games in la Liga .
Lionel Messi has been out since late September but is set to make his comeback at the Bernabeu but Ivan Rakitic, who has injured his calf, is a doubt so Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets are expected to support the attack from midfield. Javier Mascherano returns from suspension and may be deployed in midfield. Douglas and Rafinha are still out.
The Blaugrana will be desperate to avoid a repeat of last year's match scoreline at the Bernabeu, when the Catalan were outclassed 3-1 by Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid. The last time these two clubs met was in March of this year in a battle won by Luis Enrique's side, 2-1. Each of the last 9 Clasicos in La Liga BBVA have seen both sides score.

Probable lineups:
Real Madrid: Navas – Danilo, Pepe, Varane (Ramos), Marcelo – T. Kroos, Modric – Bale, J. Rodriguez, C. Ronaldo – Benzema.
Barcelona: Bravo – Dani Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Jordi Alba – Busquets, S. Roberto, Iniesta – Munir, Suarez, Neymar.

Real Madrid last 5 matches:
21/10/15 PSG 0 – 0 Real Madrid
24/10/15 Celta de Vigo 1 – 3 Real Madrid
31/10/15 Real Madrid 3 – 1 Las Palmas
03/11/15 Real Madrid 1 – 0 PSG
08/11/15 Sevilla 3 – 2 Real Madrid

Barcelona last 5 matches:
25/10/15 Barcelona 3 – 1 Eibar
28/10/15 Villanovense 0 – 0 Barcelona
31/10/15 Getafe 0 – 2 Barcelona
04/11/15 Barcelona 3 – 0 BATE
08/11/15 Barcelona 3 – 0 Villarreal

 Links To Channel To watch Barcelona Real Madrid  l 

Link 1 Link 2 live Score

Can You Watch Match Barcelona Real Madrid Live Here Link 1 Link 2 live Score

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Mourinho praises 'fantastic' Terry after 600th game

 Chelsea captain John Terry is far from finished and playing as well as ever after 600 matches for his club, manager Jose Mourinho said on Sunday.

The 33-year-old former England skipper, whose form was said to be in decline last season, turned out for Chelsea for the 600th time in their 2-1 home victory over Liverpool in the Premier League.

The win lifted Chelsea into third place, two points behind leaders Arsenal and pushed Liverpool down to fifth, four points further back.

"More important than the accumulation of the 600 matches is that he played every minute of the 19 matches in the Premier League this season  amazing for a player who last season lots of people said was going down," Mourinho told reporters.

"He is showing fantastic quality. The players I had in the past I have a special connection with them but . he's not playing because he's my friend but he's getting these minutes on the pitch because he's playing exceptionally well."

Mourinho said Terry had contributed to a big win in a tight championship race in which the demands on players were clearly illustrated by the fact Chelsea lost Frank Lampard and Branislav Ivanovic to injury during the game.

"Big respect to every player in this country. The accumulation of matches is amazing and happens what happens to Ivanovic, to Lampard, to (Liverpool's Mamadou) Sakho, to (Joe) Allen," he added, referring to the busy traditional Christmas and New year programme in the Premier League.

"They have to give what they have and have to give what they don't have.

"From the first minute to the last minute the result was in doubt with everyone giving 100 percent. It was a game of big emotion, a hard game and a big game.

"If we don't win the game, the distance to the leaders is difficult. The accumulation of matches, the injuries, Ramires not playing, plus (John Obi) Mikel with the flu, altogether makes me very happy with the game."couverture.  

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Poyet and Sunderland aim to rub salt in Cardiff's wounds

 Sunderland boss Gus Poyet will seek to rub salt into Cardiff City's wounds when his improving team visit the newly-managerless Welsh club on Saturday.

Poyet believes his team can maintain their own momentum and, with other results going their way, may be able to climb off the bottom of the Premier League.

Just 24 hours after Cardiff sacked their widely-respected manager Malky Mackay, Poyet hopes to take advantage by heaping more pressure on them.

"People keep forgetting we are unbeaten in four games - we're playing well," Poyet told the Sunderland website (www.safc.com) on Friday.

"It's up to us to keep that belief going."

Sunderland have won twice and drawn twice in four outings in all competitions since they suffered consecutive home defeats by Chelsea and Tottenham earlier this month.

On Thursday, they maintained their more disciplined defensive approach with a 1-0 win at Everton, recording their third clean sheet in four games during which they have conceded only one goal.

"The whole squad has to pull together - two games in three days is tough," added Poyet, following their win at Goodison Park, courtesy of a first-half penalty by Ki Sung-Yueng.

"We have quality players to call upon like Jozy Altidore and Adam Johnson who were on the bench, but we face a difficult match.

"They are fighting for their lives, but we need to make sure we're ready and perform to the best of our ability. We need to make it difficult for them on Saturday."

Cardiff lost 3-0 at home to Southampton on Thursday and are only four points ahead of Sunderland in 16th place in the Premier League.

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Liverpool contenders despite City defeat, says Rodgers

 Liverpool proved they deserved a place among the top four clubs in England despite the 2-1 defeat in the Boxing Day fixture at Manchester City, manager Brendan Rodgers said.

City were forced to come from behind to preserve their perfect home record on Thursday and also had cause to be thankful for a controversial disallowed Liverpool goal in the first half.

That decision added a little anger to Rodgers' disappointment at his team's failure to come away from Manchester with at least a point but his overwhelming emotion was one of pride.

"I was very proud of the players, I thought they were absolutely outstanding," he told the club's website.

"They really took the game to a team that is a top, top side full of top European players.

"I think people will go away and look at us as a team that's hopefully going to be up there challenging," he added.

"Our main objective is to set up camp in the top four. That's what this club has been striving for, for a number of years.

"But we've shown consistently over this year that we're hopefully going to be in with a right good chance of doing that.

"I think performances like tonight... show that we have the quality to do that. We didn't get the points, but we'll recover well now and get onto the next game."

The defeat leaves Liverpool, who could have gone top with a victory, in fourth place in the league behind their next opponents Chelsea, who they meet in London on Sunday.

While it has been their attacking prowess that has attracted the headlines this season, Rodgers said Liverpool needed to improve their game management after conceding Alvaro Negredo's winner just before halftime.

"Our enthusiasm and attitude is to score goals, but when you've got three or four minutes until half-time, it's important you manage the game and we didn't quite do that at that period," he added.

"But I thought we were excellent in our attitude. Some of the quality of our movement and passing was exceptional, and for me it was great to see because it's what we try to work on out on the training field.

"We've lost the game, but we take a great deal of encouragement from it."

Liverpool last finished in the top four in the 2008-09 season and won the last of their 18 titles in 1989-90.

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Newcastle in mood to banish painful Arsenal defeat

 Exactly a year to the day since losing 7-3 at Arsenal, resurgent Newcastle United can move into the top four of the Premier League if they exact revenge for that painful defeat at St James' Park on Sunday.

The Gunners head to the north-east to face Alan Pardew's in-form side as league leaders after winning 3-1 at West Ham United on Thursday.

Newcastle's 5-1 demolition of nine-man Stoke City on Boxing Day was their eighth win from their last 10 league games and Pardew expects a cracking encounter.

"Arsenal are top of the league. That is deserved as they have been the best team in the first half of the season, but we are in great shape, our place will be rocking and rolling and Arsenal know it won't be easy to turn us over," he said.

Arsenal ended a run of three league games without a win with a come from behind victory at Upton Park to revive their title hopes as the closest race for years keeps up its relentless pace through the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The season reaches the halfway mark this weekend with Arsenal top with 39 points from 18 games, with eight teams still harbouring hopes of either a push for the title or the top four.

Manchester City are just a point behind the Gunners on 38, followed by Chelsea (37), Liverpool (36), Everton (34), Newcastle (33), Manchester United (31) and Tottenham Hotspur (31).

Arsenal were boosted by the return of long-term absentee Lukas Podolski at West Ham and the German marked his comeback with a goal to seal the win.

The league leaders suffered a big blow, however, after Aaron Ramsey, their outstanding player this season, suffered a thigh injury.

"It looks serious, the Christmas period is certainly over for him but I don't know how long he will be out," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

If Arsenal should falter at Newcastle, Manchester City, Chelsea or Liverpool could all go top.

City, who have won all their nine league games at the Etihad with a goal tally of 37-6, are at home to Crystal Palace, who have improved since Tony Pulis took over as manager and climbed out of the relegation zone for the first time since August with a 1-0 win at Aston Villa on Thursday.

But City underlined their title aspirations with a 2-1 win over Liverpool, a defeat that sent the Anfield side falling from first to fourth.

Liverpool face another tough task on Sunday when they travel to Chelsea who scored a nervy 1-0 win over Swansea City at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was angry with the officials after defeat at the Etihad and he could be in trouble with the FA for criticising the appointment of referee Lee Mason.

Mason lives in Bolton, near Manchestrer and Rodgers said: "I was surprised we were playing in Manchester with a referee from Greater Manchester. I didn't think we got any decisions going for us.

"I will ask the FA the question. I don't think we would get someone from the Wirral (near Liverpool) refereeing a Liverpool-City game."

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Two-goal Kiessling makes right headlines in Leverkusen romp

Stefan Kiessling put the furore of his "phantom goal" behind him by scoring twice and also winning a penalty in Bayer Leverkusen's 4-0 Champions League rout of Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.

The forward headed Leverkusen ahead on 22 minutes and Simon Rolfes added a penalty early in the second half, his third goal in as many matches in the group stage, after Kiessling had been fouled.

Sidney Sam, top scorer in the Bundesliga this season, added a third and Kiessling pounced from close range as dominant Leverkusen leapfrogged the Ukraine side into second place in Group A on six points, one behind Manchester United.

Kiessling made headlines on Friday when he scored a "phantom goal" against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, his second-half header allowed to stand after everyone missed that it had gone in through the side netting

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